Did you know vitamin D deficiency is linked to a ton of health issues—autoimmunity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and basically every other serious disease out there? The natural health community has been all about mega dosing vitamin D for years, and for good reason—most people are deficient. Personally, I blame sunscreen and lack of sun exposure for this.
We’ve been told over and over that the sun is dangerous, that it causes cancer, and that we should stay out of it as much as possible while slathering ourselves in sunscreen. But here’s the problem—if we don’t get sun, we don’t get vitamin D. Even if you do spend time outside if you’re wearing sunscreen, your body still isn’t absorbing it. That’s right—sunscreen blocks vitamin D absorption. No wonder so many of us are deficient!
Sure, you can take vitamin D supplements, but it’s really easy to overdo it, and too much can throw off your body’s balance. The best way to get bioavailable vitamin D? Straight from the sun.
Now, I get it—no one wants to burn. As a redhead, I try to avoid it as much as possible myself. But here’s the wild thing—I haven’t worn sunscreen in almost 10 years, I’m not vitamin D deficient, and I hardly ever burn. Crazy, right?
Well, here’s what I’ve learned: what you eat greatly affects whether or not you burn.
That’s right—the food you put in your body can actually protect your skin from the inside out. Certain foods help your skin become more resilient to sun exposure, reducing the risk of burning while still letting you soak up all the vitamin D your body needs.
But before we jump into what foods you should eat, let’s talk about what you shouldn’t and why. It’s important to avoid inflammatory foods like processed sugars, highly processed foods, wheat, seed oils, and more. This is because if our bodies are already inflamed, they can get sunburned way easier. After all, sunburn is actually an inflammatory response from the body trying to heal itself. Staying away from foods that make you feel puffy and bloated is a good place to start.
Now, let’s get into the foods that can help protect your skin:
1. Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Vitamin C and E are full of antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals in the body. Free radicals are responsible for damaging skin cells, so adding vitamins C and E to your diet can help protect your skin cells.
Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidant vitamins, and it helps promote the production of collagen, another sun-blocking mineral.
Foods high in vitamin C: cherries, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi, kale, lemons, oranges, carrots
Vitamin E works by absorbing harmful UV light and preventing it from entering the skin, and it also promotes skin cell regeneration.
Foods high in vitamin E: salmon, sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, red peppers
Now let’s chat about supplementation. If you are sourcing vitamin C or E as a supplement, you’ll want to go for food or herb derived vitamin C and E stay away from synthetic vitamin C and E (ascorbic acid) because food and herbal supplements are much more bioavailable for your body to absorb. Food and herbal derived vitamins should say on their label what food sources they come from.
Recommended vitamin C supplements: Earthley’s Vita C or Immune Aid
Recommended vitamin E supplements: Thyro-Protect Vitamin E Complex
2. Quercetin and Apigenin
Quercetin and apigenin are plant pigments or flavonoids found in many herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Both are high in antioxidants and help rid the body of inflammation. They also work on a cellular level to block harmful UVA and UVB rays from entering the body.
Foods containing quercetin: red and yellow onions, elderberries, blueberries, apples, green tea
Foods containing apigenin: parsley, celery, chamomile tea
As far as supplementation goes, I believe it is best to get apigenin and quercetin through food because in a supplement it has to go through an extraction process. It’s actually quite difficult to find a food derived supplement of these flavonoids. Elderberry syrups and tinctures (especially alcohol ones) will have some quercetin, but there are many factors that will determine how much remains in the finished product. You can check with the manufacturer if you want to supplement in this way.
3. Curcumin
Curcumin is the active compound found in turmeric and is responsible for providing turmeric with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin can suppress UV-related skin cancer and can even reverse the harm from UV radiation. It’s an absolute powerhouse! And there’s only one food that contains curcumin, and that’s turmeric. However, when taking turmeric, it is important to pair it with black pepper and a fat, or turmeric won’t be absorbed by your body.
Supplementation is one of the most popular ways to take turmeric. When looking for a turmeric supplement, you will want to find one that also has black pepper, and the most minimal ingredients possible. Really all you really need is turmeric, black pepper, and the capsule—but you’ll want to take it paired with a fat. Another popular way to take turmeric is making a warm drink called golden milk, made with turmeric, black pepper, and whole fatty milk.
Recommended turmeric supplement: Earthley’s Turmeric and Black Pepper
4. Niacin
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, deserves a mention here because it is a powerful vitamin that greatly contributes to skin health. Niacin can help lighten dark spots and increase collagen production in the skin. It also has the ability to repair damaged skin cells while protecting them from free radicals. And the coolest thing about it is that it can repair damaged DNA!
Foods high in niacin: beef liver, tuna, chicken breast, anchovies, pork
Supplementing with niacin can be an easy way to get it into your daily diet, and this vitamin in particular has many options. You mostly will want to look for a grass-fed beef liver supplement vs a vitamin B3 or niacin supplement, as those are synthetically made.
Recommended niacin supplements: Heart and Soil Beef Organs or Ancestral Supplements Grass-Fed Beef Liver
5. Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the body that gives firmness and elasticity to your skin. It forms the foundation of your skin, called the dermis, and supports your body’s strength against UV radiation. As you age, your body produces less and less collagen on its own, possibly making you more susceptible to UV radiation. An easy way to get a daily intake of collagen is with a supplement, but there are some foods that can help, too.
Foods high in collagen: beef bone broth, pork bone broth, egg whites, sardines.
Collagen powder has become a very popular supplement these days to work into a daily diet. It’s an easy one too because you can add it to your morning coffee, a smoothie, or even to your water. Now there are many options out there, but it’s always best to look for grass-fed supplements as this ensures the cows weren’t given antibiotics or fed high-pesticide feed.
Recommended collagen powder: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
6. Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3s are widely known for their heart health benefits, but they also support healthy skin as well! They can help by supporting the natural skin barrier and protecting it from UV radiation and external damage.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids: tuna, salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, sardines, mackerel
It can be hard to fit a fatty fish into your diet every day, so supplementing is very common. However, when taking an omega-3 supplement, it’s important to find one that has been flash frozen upon catching and is processed on low heat because high heat kills nutrients in the fish.
Recommended omega 3 supplements: Earthley’s Cod Liver Oil
7. Healthy Saturated Fats
Healthy saturated fats can help balance inflammation and maintain the integrity of skin cells. Because they can help reduce inflammation, they can help minimize the redness and swelling that often accompanies sunburn. Much like omega 3s, saturated fats also support the natural skin barrier, protecting it from UV radiation and external damage.
Foods high in healthy saturated fats: coconut oil, ghee, butter, full-fat dairy products, cheese
There aren’t any healthy saturated fat supplements, but great ways to get them into your diet is cooking with coconut oil, butter, or ghee, or even adding them to your morning coffee.
Eating more of these foods throughout the warmer months when you spend more time outdoors can help protect your skin, while letting you reap the vitamin D benefits from the sun. Getting vitamin D is so important, and if you want to add something topical to your sun protection, Earthley’s Sun Shield is the perfect sun lotion. It is made up solely of natural oils and butters that naturally protect your skin from harmful UV rays, but allows you to absorb vitamin D.
Are you going to eat your sunscreen?
